The Intellectual Journey of Thomas Berry: Imagining the Earth Community

(Paperback)

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Thomas Berry had a gentle yet mesmerizing and luminescent presence that was evident to anyone who spent time with him. His intellectual scope and erudite manner were compelling, and the breadth, depth, clarity, and elegance of his vision was breathtaking. Berry was an intellectual giant and cultural visionary of extraordinary stature. Thomas Berrys vast knowledge of history, religions, and cultural histories is a unique blend revealing a genuine, original thinker. The ecological crisis, in all its manifestations, came to dominate Berrys concerns. He perceived that the greatest need was to offer the possibility of a viable future for an Earth community. Many know of his proposal for a functional cosmology, the need for a new story, and a vital Earth sensitive spirituality. Few know of his rich and varied intellectual journey. The Intellectual Journey of Thomas Berry: Imagining the Earth Community is about the roots and insights hidden within his ecological, spiritual proposal. These essays, written by experts on Thomas Berrys work, probe into, and reveal distinct themes that permeate his work, in gratitude for his contribution to the Earth.

Reviews

It [this book] functions as an appreciative explication of some of the themes and backgrounds in Berry's work. * ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment *
This book, edited by Canadian theologian Heather Eaton, is clearly to be the definitive work on Thomas Berry. Berry was an immensely learned man. His lifetime of study led him across many groups of religion, philosophies, cultures, and science. His vision of a new universe story synthesized these many fields of thought. This book of fourteen essays elucidates these many areas of knowledge that went into his planetary vision. -- Rosemary Radford Ruether, Claremont School of Theology
Thomas Berry is one of the powerful and original thinkers of the last century; it's very good to see his crucial work set in context. -- Bill McKibben, author of "Radio Free Vermont"
This book makes clear that Berrys insight that "the universe is a communion of subjects" has an importance comparable to that of the evolutionary origins of human beings, the unconscious dimension of experience, and the relativity of space and time. Perhaps now, in the twenty-first century, this book will enable far more people to appreciate his vision and to appropriate it, critically but humbly. -- John Cobb, Claremont Lincoln University

Author Bio

Heather Eaton is professor of conflict studies at Saint Paul University.